James Holloway

James Holloway

After working for a publishing company for over fifteen years, James was convinced that there had to be a better way for small businesses to connect with their customers than traditional “pay and pray for results” advertising. This motivated him to start his own business and in 2015, he launched LoyalShout which provides small businesses the same kind of technology solutions that national companies use to increase loyalty and retain their best and most loyal customers.

What inspired you to become an entrepreneur? I worked with a friend who had great entrepreneurial instincts and I saw how rewarding it could be.

Something interesting? The cost of losing a customer is staggering. It’s 5-7 times more expensive to gain a new customer than to retain one. What I do helps people become repeat customers, which ultimately saves a business on advertising costs and increases their revenue.

Business wins? Small wins are often the best. For example, showing my clients how much I helped them increase revenue never gets old.

Why Lakeland? Lakeland is home. It always has been and it probably always will be.

What was the hardest thing about starting your own business? Time. There’s never enough of it.

Favorite things to do in Lakeland? Playing racquetball at the YMCA, jogging Lake Hollingsworth, and eating a slice at J. Burns Pizza.

How has Catapult helped you? Catapult has inspired me by seeing other like-minded entrepreneurs pursue their dreams.

Secret Sauce? Keep trying and don’t give up. In my career, I’ve seen both wins and losses and I’ve learned that failure is simply a part of the process of success. So if you’re failing, keep going.